I believe my students when they tell me they are “passionate” about music (or teaching). I myself am acquainted with passion, which has shaped my experience in manifold ways. At […]
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Passion, Talent, and Your Choice of Profession: Some Thoughts on Majoring in Music
In modern American culture, we tend to believe that we reach the apex of professional success when our work achieves a balance between financial profitability and personal meaning. And why […]
Does Motivation Matter? Further Thoughts on Choosing to Practice
I recently posted a fairly transparent account of my decision to practice for 365 consecutive days in 2017. Shortly thereafter, a thread on social media brought up the following counter-argument: […]
365 Days: My Practicing Odyssey of 2017
Last January, I committed to 365 consecutive days of practice. By announcing this fact, I am of course also confessing to an uncomfortable truth: I am a professional trumpet player, […]
Contacting Established Professionals (go ahead, send that email)
When I was in college I had a colleague who wanted to play a relatively unknown, unpublished piece by a relatively well-known living composer. She emailed him, asking how she […]
To Teach or Not to Teach: Is This Really the Right Question?
In teaching college trumpet, I find that the following question arises often: “Should I major in music education?” Coming from my college students, this question usually means one of two […]